Daily Devotional

March 26

Thine Is My Heart: Devotional Readings from the Writings of John Calvin

by John Calvin (compiled by John H. Kromminga)

Bible Text:

Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. —Isaiah 53:12

Devotional:

And let us realize that if we come flocking to our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall not hinder one another and prevent him being sufficient for each of us. It is a different matter when we seek relief in a mortal man. If, after one man has said: "Will you please carry such and such a load," a second comes, and a hundred all together, however greatly he may wish to help them individually, yet his shoulders would give way, for he would not have the strength to carry everything upon him.

Or again, if it is a question of borrowing when we are hungry and thirsty, we may come and ask a man to give us something to eat and drink, and perhaps he could cater for a dozen; but if there came such a great crowd that all the food gave out, he would find himself short. So then, as far as men are concerned, we need to receive help and assistance from many if we come in such a great multitude.

But when we come to Jesus Christ we must not be afraid that his power will fail. When each has received his portion from him, there is no lessening in Him, so that there is not enough for others. For the greater number we are who come to him, the more shall we find him rich to supply our need. Thus, we have to note that not without cause does the Prophet say he bore the sin of many—that we may not envy our neighbours, as if we were balked of assistance because there were too many others. This, in sum, is what we have to remember from this passage. —Sermons

John Calvin was the premier theologian of the Reformation, but also a pious and godly Christian pastor who endeavored throughout his life to point men and women to Christ. We are grateful to Reformation Heritage Books for permission to use John Calvin's Thine Is My Heart as our daily devotional for 2013 on the OPC Web site. You can currently obtain a printed copy of that book from Reformation Heritage Books.

Dr. Joel Beeke, who is editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books, has this to say:

"Calvin shows us the piety of a Reformed theologian who speaks from the heart. Having tasted the goodness and grace of God in Jesus Christ, he pursued piety by seeking to know and do God’s will every day. He communed with Christ, practicing repentance, self-denial, and cross-bearing. Moreover, his theology worked itself out in heart-felt, Christ-honoring piety. The selections of this devotional bear this out, and hopefully will be used by God to direct pious hearts in our own day."

These devotional readings from John Calvin were compiled by John H. Kromminga. Be sure to read his "Introduction" to John Calvin's Thine Is My Heart.